To East India Dock where in the early days I would come to collect my very first cases of wine shipped on the boat from Bordeaux.

Whatever the dockers had not nicked that is. (Serious pilfering by almost everybody connect with wine shipping back then was the real reason why I bought a van and drove to Bordeaux every month to get it myself).

Now apart the odd crane the docks - and dockers - are gone and its where they hold the annual London Wine Trade Fair. Big bash. Well organised.

Spend my time going round the 'fringe' countries and regions; Georgia; dangerous, but well.... as the birthplace of wine its worth spending more time on, India; 65 producers now...perfectly OK but wondering....why???? , Bulgaria; in the 70's early 80's HUGE for us but then lost the plot.

However there was just one Cabernet that reminded me of what we used to sell by the shipload...but we'll never see those crazy Commie prices again. All capitalists now and need to make a profit. The Comrades never worried about such things. Ah! VinProm! Croatia; when it was Yugoslavia we did a fair trade.... Possibly come-back time? If they'd just smile and be helpful.

Turkey; anyone alive old enough to remember 'Buzbag'? Still there. Very nice now. But twenty times the price. A good organic chap. And.... What's that golden dome glinting in the light? Oz Clarke doing his bit on the mike to promote Turkey. So that's it then...the oracle has spoken; next year its Turkey.

After about 3 these shows become a blur. Stagger out to get to Marlow in time to join the 'volunteer' Press Gang Party helping Henry bang in more of his 40,000 stakes. (See his blog). Exhausting day. Very exhausting day.



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